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The effects of higher-order and lower-order questions on achievement in geography of Secondary One students
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Type
Thesis
Author
Teo, Linda Gek Sim
Supervisor
Seng, Alice Seok-Hoon
Ong, Sit Tui
Abstract
The present research investigated the effects of the use of higher-order questions and lower-order questions on the Geography achievement of secondary one students. The aim was to establish if there would be significant differences in achievement between two groups of students as a result of treatment conditions :-
● Secondary one students receiving Geography materials with 80% higher-order questions would achieve significantly higher overall scores when compared with another group of students receiving Geography materials with 80% lower-order questions.
● They would achieve significantly higher scores in "higher intellectual skills" when compared with another group of students receiving Geography materials with 80% lower-order questions.
● They would achieve as well in "knowledge" as another group of students receiving Geography materials with 80% lower-order questions.
Higher-order questions are questions that can be classified as Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation questions according to the Bloom et al. Taxonomy. Practice with these is hypothesised to bring about "higher intellectual skills". Practice in mere recall falls into the knowledge category.
Two hundred and seventy-two boys and girls from eight secondary one "Express" classes of two Government schools made up the total sample.
As the two Government schools were deemed "average" schools based on academic quality of secondary one student intake, the population was meant to be representative of the secondary one population. Biodata collected ascertained similarity in socio-economic status.
The students were randomly assigned to an Experimental and a Control group within each school. The two groups received six weeks of instruction on Mapping and Map Reading from experienced secondary school teachers. As treatment, the Experimental group responded in written form to a set of questions that contained 80% higher-order questions and 20% lower-order questions. The non-treatment or Control group responded in like manner to a set of questions that contained more lower-order questions (80%) and less higher-order questions (20%). Both groups received immediate feedback in written form.
The criterion instrument was an achievement test drawn up by the researcher for this study. It consisted of forty questions, with ten questions at each level of the Bloom et al. Taxonomy in ascending order; the last ten questions, however, collapsed Analysis, Synthesis as well as Evaluation questions into one level, and tested these skills. Each student's achievement was measured overall in the total scores and as four separate sets of subscores reflecting the levels of the taxonomy.
A Post-test only, Control Group procedure using a 2 x 2 x 3 (treatment by sex by English attainment) factorial design was adopted. The data collected was tested using the Analysis of Variance statistical technique for unbalanced numbers. The .50 level of significance tested the null hypotheses.
The findings show that the Experimental group students performed significantly better on the achievement test than Control group students. For the detailed analysis of data collected from School A, boys performed overall better than girls and in answering questions in the Application category. Students with higher PSLE English attainment also obtained better overall results, and in Evaluation and Comprehension categories. There was significant interaction between treatment and English attainment in overall scores and in Evaluation and Application categories. Students in both Experimental and Control groups performed equally well in the Knowledge category.
● Secondary one students receiving Geography materials with 80% higher-order questions would achieve significantly higher overall scores when compared with another group of students receiving Geography materials with 80% lower-order questions.
● They would achieve significantly higher scores in "higher intellectual skills" when compared with another group of students receiving Geography materials with 80% lower-order questions.
● They would achieve as well in "knowledge" as another group of students receiving Geography materials with 80% lower-order questions.
Higher-order questions are questions that can be classified as Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation questions according to the Bloom et al. Taxonomy. Practice with these is hypothesised to bring about "higher intellectual skills". Practice in mere recall falls into the knowledge category.
Two hundred and seventy-two boys and girls from eight secondary one "Express" classes of two Government schools made up the total sample.
As the two Government schools were deemed "average" schools based on academic quality of secondary one student intake, the population was meant to be representative of the secondary one population. Biodata collected ascertained similarity in socio-economic status.
The students were randomly assigned to an Experimental and a Control group within each school. The two groups received six weeks of instruction on Mapping and Map Reading from experienced secondary school teachers. As treatment, the Experimental group responded in written form to a set of questions that contained 80% higher-order questions and 20% lower-order questions. The non-treatment or Control group responded in like manner to a set of questions that contained more lower-order questions (80%) and less higher-order questions (20%). Both groups received immediate feedback in written form.
The criterion instrument was an achievement test drawn up by the researcher for this study. It consisted of forty questions, with ten questions at each level of the Bloom et al. Taxonomy in ascending order; the last ten questions, however, collapsed Analysis, Synthesis as well as Evaluation questions into one level, and tested these skills. Each student's achievement was measured overall in the total scores and as four separate sets of subscores reflecting the levels of the taxonomy.
A Post-test only, Control Group procedure using a 2 x 2 x 3 (treatment by sex by English attainment) factorial design was adopted. The data collected was tested using the Analysis of Variance statistical technique for unbalanced numbers. The .50 level of significance tested the null hypotheses.
The findings show that the Experimental group students performed significantly better on the achievement test than Control group students. For the detailed analysis of data collected from School A, boys performed overall better than girls and in answering questions in the Application category. Students with higher PSLE English attainment also obtained better overall results, and in Evaluation and Comprehension categories. There was significant interaction between treatment and English attainment in overall scores and in Evaluation and Application categories. Students in both Experimental and Control groups performed equally well in the Knowledge category.
Date Issued
1983
Call Number
G74 Teo
Date Submitted
1983